Post by Coral!
I can’t remember the date, but a while back I think Stacey blogged about the frustrations with BGs and exercise. I am embarrassed to admit this, but I didn’t understand the potential problems of exercising on a high BG. I used to think that my BG needed to be high prior to exercise, otherwise it would crash. I can remember in college when I used to use exercise to bring my BG down from the 300s. Boy was I wrong!
Since I learned the importance of having a “normal” BG prior to exercise, my regime has completely changed and I will admit that it has made a huge impact on my level of fitness. Anyone who knows me knows that I have a slight obsession about exercising and talking about it… a lot. I think it stems from my competitive roller skating days as a kid.
PLEASE NOTE: This is not medical advice. I am simply sharing what I have found to work for me. Everyone’s body is different and reacts to exercise differently. Please consult your doctor for medical advice.
This is what I have found to be helpful for me:
Jogging / Running:
- This moderate exercise tends to bring my BG down after about 30-45mins. I try to target 150-180 prior to running and I usually good for up to 45mins without needing a snack. Anything after 45mins, I need to eat / drink carbs.
Spin Class:
- This intense exercise actually makes my BG go up after 30-45mins. I target 90-150 prior to work out, but make sure to have Gatorade and water with me on the bike at all times.
- The best time of day for me is the early morning prior to breakfast because there is no humalog insulin in my body. I find that if I have a small snack (ie: nutragrain bar, or ½ granola bar, etc) and bolus for it, I have the right amount of energy to have a really great work out. I used to not eat before class, but then I would feel awful after the first 15 minutes. Also, having some insulin in my body helps to keep my BG from spiking to over 200 during/post exercise.
- This is my favorite form of exercise. I try to go every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday morning. It helps to alleviate the everyday stresses of life.
Weight Training:
- I hate it. I don’t do it. But I should figure this one out next.
I am hoping to get a CGM soon so I can see what really happens during exercise. Right now, I only test prior and post exercise which means there is a good hour while I’m exercising that I don’t know what is going on. Stay tuned!
I think being in an exercise routine is key to overall health benefits … but even more so when it comes to managing bg. It’s great that you’ve learned what works best for you in terms of different types of exercise. I keep telling myself that I am in serious need of getting exercise back into my routine but I’m just having a ridiculously hard time doing it. Kudos to you for sticking with it!
Yess sometimes I wish I could just have a cgm to tell me how certain things affect me… so I guess having one eventually will help. My bg goes up and then down in lotsa funky ways when I exercise – it’s awesome you’ve pinned it down so well!
Thanks for this post. I’ve been trying to work on a consistent exercise routine for myself as well and it’s been a tough one to figure out so far! Good work on figuring out what works for you, it’s always nice to hear how others do it because sometimes it feels like it can’t be done! I’m going to be doing a program at the Joslin Diabetes Center in Boston in January that is supposed to help me figure something out and I’ll keep people posted about what I find out. Thanks!
I think it’s great that you know how your body reacts to exercise. I also never tested before I excercised but was miraculously only low once after a half an hour of cardio.